THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  ILLINOIS 


LIBRARY 


no. 


r 


ACWCUITUPF 


NO.N  CIRCULATING 

CHECK  FOR  UNBOUND 
CIRCULATING  COPY 


'    :      UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS, 

Agricultural  Experiment  Station, 

CHAMPAIGN,  APRIL,  1892. 


BULLETIN  NO.  20. 


FIELD  EXPERIMENTS  WITH  CORN,  1891. 

This  bulletin  gives  the  results  of  the  experiments  with  field  corn  in 
1891,  together  with  a  summary  of  the  results  obtained  in  the  same  ex- 
periments in  1888,  1889  and  1890.  The  following  are  reported: 

No.  i.  Test  of  varieties.  No.  3.  Time  of  planting. 

No.  5.  Thickness  of  planting.        No.  6.  Planting  in  hills  or  drills. 

No.  7.  Depth  of  plowing.  No.  9.  Depth  of  cultivation. 

No.  10.  Effect  of  root-pruning.     No.  n.  Effect  of  fertilizers. 

No.  90.  Growth  of  the  corn  plant;  increase  of  its  dry  matter. 

No.  134.  Effect  of  removing  tassels. 

The  experiments,  except  No.  n,  were  tried  on  the  dark  colored, 
fertile  prairie  soils  common  to  central  Illinois.  The  surface  soil  is  about 
1 8  inches  deep,  underlaid  with  yellow  clay.  No  manures  were  applied, 
except  in  No.  n.  In  most  cases  the  land  had  been  in  corn  in  1890,  and 
was  plowed  in  the  spring.  In  all  but  a  few  cases  the  corn  was  planted 
by  hand,  covered  with  a  hoe,  four  kernels  in  hills  3  ft.  8  in.  apart  each 
way. 

The  season  was  one  of  severe  drouth.  The  rainfall  had  been  de- 
ficent  in  1890  and  in  the  early  months  of  1891.  For  the  five  months 
from  May  to  September  it  was  7.65  in.,  the  average  for  this  portion  of 
the  year  being  from  18  to  20  in.  The  average  mean  temperature  for 
these  five  months  was  68°,  which  is  not  far  from  the  average  during  a 
series  of  years. 


4') 


50  BULLETIN    NO.   2O.  [April, 

TEMPERATURE  AND  RAINFALL  DURING  THE  CORN  SEASON  OF  YEARS  NAMED. 

Mean  temperature,  F. 


Year  

May. 

Tune. 

July. 

August 

Sept 

Average 

1887 

67    Q° 

7^  6° 

80    4° 

75   2° 

66  4° 

72    7° 

1888 

'  '  V^ 
,«Q    4° 

71   3° 

77° 

/  j  ••"• 

72    4° 

62  4° 

68   s° 

1889  

59  2° 

65  5° 

72  7° 

60    2° 

61  3° 

6s  6° 

1800 

58   3° 

74    6 

73° 

68  7° 

60  s° 

67° 

1801 

•58  4° 

•Ti  . 

72° 

70° 

7O    2° 

60  2° 

68° 

Average,  1878-87  

64.6° 

71° 

77-5° 

74-6° 

66.5° 

70.8° 

Rainfall,  inches. 




|  Aggregate 


1887 

3  84 

I  62 

i  6s 

2  S6 

3  68 

13  3C 

1888     .... 

6  84 

575 

5  .  ^4 

3  14 

i  .as 

2?.  O2 

1880 

S  "S2 

6.81 

5.84 

O.6o 

2.74 

21  SI 

1890  

3.56 

3.80 

2.83 

1.93 

1.19 

13.  31 

1801 

o  8q 

2  08 

I  41 

2.86 

o  41 

7  6s 

Average,  1878-87  

4-45 

5.04 

-.» 

3-45 

3-27 

18.96 

Thirty-six  varieties  were  tested  on  52  plats.  About  86  per  cent  of 
a  full  stand  of  stalks  was  secured.  About  12  per  cent  of  the  stalks  pro- 
duced no  ears.  This  is  nearly  the  same  result  as  found  in  1888  and  1890; 
in  1889  there  was  less  than  two  per  cent  of  barren  stalks.  While  the 
percentage  of  stalks  does  not  seem  to  depend  on  variety,  there  were 
great  differences  in  different  plats — from  three  to  twenty-nine  per  cent. 

As  had  been  the  case  in  each  of  the  three  preceding  years,  the 
varieties  maturing  about  September  2oth  gave  a  larger  average  yield 
than  those  maturing  either  earlier  or  later.  In  1891,  13  early  varieties 
averaged  56,  19  medium  averaged  66,  and  six  late  maturing  varieties 
averaged  57  bu.  of  air-dry  corn  per  acre.  For  the  four  years  the  early 
varieties  gave  an  average  yield  of  61,  the  medium  of  73,  and  the  late  of 
68  bu.  of  air-dry  corn. 

For  four  successive  years  1 1  varieties  have  been  tested.  The  aver- 
age yield  has  been  at  the  rate  of  70  bu.  per  acre.  Of  these  varieties 
champion  white  pearl  has  had  the  highest  average,  79  bu.;  Learning 
(yellow)  the  next,  76  bu. ;  Burr's  white,  which  resembles  champion  white 
pearl,  next,  74  bu.  Boone  county  white  gave  much  the  largest  yield,  89 
bu.,  in  1891,  and  as  large  as  any  other  in  1890.  Learning  gave  the 
largest  yield  of  any  yellow  variety  in  1891.  Murdock  and  Edmonds 
stood  highest  in  yield  of  the  early  maturing  varieties  tested  for  four 
years.  A  plat  of  Murdock  did  not  ripen  until  Sept.  2Oth,  while  one 
plat  of  Learning  matured  so  as  to  be  classed  with  the  early  varieties;  but 
these  were  exceptional  cases. 

In  some  cases  marked  differences  were  found  in  the  yield  of  adja- 
cent plats  of  the  same  variety.  In  the  case  of  one  variety  there  have 


1892.]  FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,     1891.  51 

been  extraordinary  variations  in  yield  in  different  years.  In  each  of  the 
four  years  varieties  little  known  and  without  more  than  a  neighborhood 
reputation  have  given  large  yields  of  good  corn.  The  yield  does  not  seem 
to  depend  on  the  color  or  the  smoothness  or  roughness  of  the  kernels, 
although,  in  1891,  the  white  varieties  gave  an  average  of  four  bushels 
larger  yield  than  the  greater  number  of  yellow  varieties. 

A  medium  sized  variety  of  corn  planted  at  the  rate  of  one  kernel  each 
nine  to  twelve  inches  in  rows  3  ft.  8  in.  apart  gave  larger  yields  of  good 
corn  than  thicker  planting;  but  the  yield  of  corn  and  stalks  together 
increases  with  thickness- of  planting,  at  least  up  to  the  rate  of  one  kernel 
each  three  inches.  As  the  result  of  four  years  trials  it  is  believed  the 
larger  yield  of  grain  makes  the  food  value  of  the  total  crop  greater  when 
it  is  planted  at  the  rate  of  one  kernel  at  about  each  six  inches  in  the  row. 

In  1891  little  difference  was  found  in  yield  from  plats  planted  with 
a  medium  maturing  variety  at  weekly  intervals  from  April  25th  to  May 
23d.  Later  plantings  gave  much  smaller  yields;  the  ears  were  not  well 
filled  and  the  corn  did  not  mature  thoroughly.  For  three  years  previous 
good  crops  were  had  from  plantings  any  time  in  May.  For  the  four 
years  the  best  results  have  come  from  planting  from  May  nth  to  i6tru 

In  two  out  of  three  years  no  material  difference  in  yield  has  been 
found  whether  the  corn  has  been  planted  in  hills  or  drills,  if  the  land  was- 
kept  equally  free  from  weeds. 

.  The  yields  were  nearly  the  same  from  three  plats  of  spring-plowed 
land,  one  plowed  two,  and  one  five,  and  one  ten  in.  deep.  In  1890  land 
plowed  eight  inches  deep  gave  a  little  larger  yield  than  that  plowed 
shallower. 

In  1891,  for  the  first  time  in  four  years,  there  was  a  larger  yield 
from  a  plat  deep  cultivated  than  from  one  shallow  cultivated.  A  cul- 
tivator with  narrow  spring  teeth  was  used  this  year  in  the  deep  cultiva- 
tion ;  in  former  years,  a  shovel  cultivator.  For  four  years  the  average 
yields  have  been  at  the  rate  of  71  bu.  from  deep,  76  from  shallow  culti- 
vated plats,  and  73  from  plats  not  cultivated  except  to  remove  weeds 
by  scraping  the  surface  with  a  hoe. 

No  appreciable  effect  on  yield  of  field  corn  resulted  from  cutting  the 
tops  when  in  good  condition  for  fodder,  or  from  removing  the  tassels 
from  alternate  rows  as  they  appeared. 

Experiments  made  for  three  years  illustrate  the  fact  that  there  is 
relatively  little  dry  matter  in  corn  during  the  early  stages  of  its  growth. 
When  it  had  reached  half  its  height  it  had  not  more  than  seven,  in  full 
tassel  less  than  50,  and  when  in  the  soft  milk  stage  less  than  75  per 
cent  as  much  dry  matter  as  when  fully  mature.  Unless  there  is  loss  by 
dropping  of  leaves  the  dry  matter  increases  until  the  corn  is  mature. 

Experiment  No.  I.      Corn,  Testing'   Varieties. 

Tests  of  varieties  of  dent  corn  have  been  made  for  five  years.  Re- 
ports have  been  made  in  bulletins  No.  4,  8  and  13.  Du'ring  the  past 


BULLETIN    NO.   2O. 


[April, 


two  years  the  number  of  varieties  has  been  considerably  reduced  by 
sifting  out  those  that  did  not  give  promise  of  any  special  merit.  In 
1888,  136  varieties  were  tested,  in  1891,  36. 

The  land  used  in  1891  had  been  in  corn  in  1890  and  was  fall-plowed. 
The  plats,  53  in  number,  were  each  one-fortieth  of  an  acre,  2  rods  or 
nine  hills  square,  and  with  few  exceptions  were  so  planted  that  corn  was 
growing  on  every  side.  May  9th  to  i4th  the  plats  were  disked  twice, 
harrowed  once,  marked  3  feet  8  inches  each  way;  and  the  corn  was 
dropped  by  hand  four  kernels  in  a  hill  and  covered  about  one  inch  deep 
with  a  hoe.  May  23d  to  July  ist  all  the  plats  were  cultivated  three 
times  with  a  shallow-going  cultivator  and  the  weeds  remaining  were 
removed  with  a  hoe.  When  the  corn  was  about  ten  inches  high  the 
number  of  plants  on  each  plat  was  counted.  After  September  5th 
observations  as  to  ripeness  were  frequently  made.  The  number  of 
barren  stalks,  total  number  of  stalks,  average  height  to  tip  of  tassels 
and  the  average  height  to  butt  of  ears  were  ascertained  for  each  variety. 

The  plats  were  husked  by  thirds,  the  weight  and  number  of  ears 
being  ascertained  for  each  third.  The  middle  third  of  each  plat  was 
taken  to  the  storehouse  where  it  remained  for  about  three  weeks,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  it  was  again  weighed,  and  the  number  and  weight 
of  both  nubbins  and  ears,  and  the  weight  of  both  shelled  corn  and  cobs 
ascertained  for  each  lot.  A  pint  jar  was  filled  with  shelled  corn  from 
each  plat  and  sent  to  the  laboratory  for  the  determination  of  water. 

•+:  DUPLICATE  PLATS. 

The  differences  in  yield  of  duplicate  plats  show  that,  while  the  soil 
to  all  appearances  was  uniform,  and  the  treatment  throughout  the  same, 
there  are  differences  of  condition  that  are  beyond  our  control  and,  not 
unfrequently,  beyond  our  discovery.  There  were  two  or  more  plats  of 
each  of  ten  varieties.  The  greatest  difference  in  yield  between  two  plats 
of  the  same  variety  is  20.1  bu.  per  acre,  the  average  difference,  5.8  bu.; 
and  the  least  difference  0.3  bu. 

YIELD  PER  ACRE  OF  AIR-DRY  CORN  UPON  DUPLICATE  PLATS,  IN  1891.' 


Variety. 

a 

b 

c 

d 

Average 

Learning 

54-7 
56 
62.1 

56.4 
72.2 
73.6 
65 
65.7 
54-6 
40.5 

72.3 
57-6 
61.8 
60.8 
79-4 
79-5 
70.5 
74-9 
57-9 
37-4 

74.8 

67.3 
56.8 
59-8 
58.6 
75-8 
76.5 
67.7 

70.3 
56.2 

39 

Legal  tender 

Murdock      

57  -'6 

57-9 

Edmonds  

Golden  beauty 

Champion  white  pearl 

Burr's  white  

Hickory  king 

Helms  improved  





While  these  differences  are   considerable,  yet  they  are  much  less 
than  those   found  between  different   varieties  of  even   the   same  class. 


l8Q2.1  FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,      iSqi.  Z1 

y     j  '         -7  jo 

For  example,  the  greatest  difference  between  two  plats  of  the  14 
planted  to  early  maturing  varieties  was  39.7  bu.  per  acre;  of  the  26 
medium  maturing,  35.7  bu.;  and  of  the  9  late  maturing,  42  bu.  The 
variety  giving  the  largest  yield  produced  2.6  times  as  much  as  the  one 
giving  the  least.  When  the  variation  in  yield  of  different  varieties  does 
not  exceed  that  of  the  same  variety  on  different  plats  the  results  are 
inconclusive.  A  greater  variation  we  must  attribute,  in  part  at  least,  to 
the  variety.  If  single  plats  are  used,  it  is  only  after  varieties  have 
been  tested  for  a  series  of  years  that  we  can  conclude  which  give  the 
best  yields;  but  there  are  other  important  things  which  can  be  ascer- 
tained by  comparative  tests;  such  as  time  of  maturity,  size,  ratio  of  ears 
to  stalks,  ratio  of  shelled  corn  to  cob.  If  several  plats  of  each  variety 
are  planted,  and  the  average  yields  ascertained,  these  afford  a  better 
basis  for  a  comparison  of  the  varieties  in  respect  to  yield ;  for  in  this  way 
the  effect  of  differences  in  the  conditions  of  the  test  is  much  diminished. 

CLASSIFICATION  OF  VARIETIES. 

The  table  on  page  54  gives  a  classification  of  the  varieties  tested 
this  year  and  the  yield  of  air-dry  corn  by  each  variety.  It  is  based  upon 
the  time  of  ripening,  color  and  smoothness  or  roughness  of  the  outer  end 
of  the  kernels.  Varieties  maturing  before  September  loth  are  classed  as 
early;  those  maturing  September  nth  to  September  2oth  as  medium; 
and  those  maturing  after  September  2ist  as  late.  The  varieties  that  are 
very  near  the  dividing  lines  as  to  time  of  maturity,  and  smoothness  or 
roughness  are  subject  to  change  from  year  to  year  from  one  class  to 
another,  hence  we  see  that  the  classification  for  1891  differs  slightly  from 
that  of  1890.  In  two  cases  duplicate  plats  of  the  same  variety  ripened 
so  as  to  be  classed  differently. 

RESULTS.* 

A  summary  giving  the  number  of  plats  in  each  of  the  three  classes, 
early,  medium  and  late,  and  the  results  for  each  class  for  each  of  four 
years,  is  given  in  the  table  on  page  55.  In  each  of  the. four  years  there 
has  been  an  average  of  from  four-fifths  to  seven-eighths  of  a  full  stand, 
i.  e.,  four  stalks  in  each  hill.  In  two  years,  1888  and  1889,  there  were 
more  stalks  when  the  corn  was  ripe  than  when  well  up  in  the  spring, 
showing  that  some  stooling  must  have  taken  place.  And  from  the  very 
low  per  cent  of  barren  stalks  in  1889,  r>5»  we  must  conclude  that  most 
of  the  stalks  produced  by  stooling  must  have  borne  ears.  For  1888, 
1890  and  1891  the  per  cent  of  barren  stalks  is  comparatively  uniform, 
averaging  about  12,  and  in  each  of  these  years  it  increases  with  the  late- 
ness of  maturity. 

Though  varying  much  from  year  to  year,  owing  to  the  nature  of 
the  season,  in  general  the  height  of  both  stalks  and  ears  increase  with 
lateness  of  maturity,  as  do  also  the  length  and  circumference  of  ears. 
Hickory  king,  a  very  late  maturing  variety,  is  considerably  smaller  than 

*For  details  see  pp.  56-59. 


54 


BULLETIN    NO.   2O. 


[April, 


SYNOPSIS  OF  VARIETIES,    1891.  Yield. 

f  Haber'  s  early  dent 58.2 

[  Learning 54 . 7 

r  Yellow  .-j  f  Queen  of  the  field 61.4 

I    Hathaway 's  early  dent 35-4 

j    Steward's  improved  yellow 58.4 

Rough . .  •{   Yellow  dent .. 62 . 6 

Early  ..  I    Queen  of  the  North 34-3 

,          !   Edmonds 58.6 

(_  Champaign 61.3 

c         ,t      (   Clarke  county  champion.  . .  .    "57.5 

oinootn.  -!   -p^      -i      ,       «  . 

fFisk 57.4 

Munns 69 

Murdock 60 . 5 

f  Smooth.^    Clark's  Onarga 63.8 

{Clark  s  Iroquis 65 . 4 

Clarage 53.6 

Yellow     ^  Learning 73.5 

t  Legal  tender 56.8 

{Riley 's  favorite 56 .  i 
Chester  county  mammoth 60.  i 
California  yellow 69 . 8 

f  Peck's  white 55-3 

Medium  •{  Huston's  white 65 . 3 

f  Smooth .  \    Boone  county  white 89 . 3 

I    Burr's  white 67.7 

White  . .  <{  [  Champion  white  pearl 76.5 

R  u  h      '$   McMillan's  white 75.8 

Mixed  . .  -^    Smooth .  -{    Blue  river 70.3 

r  ^  ,,  ,0         .,      (   Pride  of  Kansas .    64.1 

f  Yellow  .  <{   Smooth.  \   Golden  be&uty ^  g 

Helms  improved 39 

[_  Rough . .  •{   Ivory  dent 66 . 2 

|_  Mixed  . .  ~{    Rough . .  <j    Cranberry 44-4 

the^average  late  maturing  variety,  and  as  it  comes  in  twice  in  a  short 
list  of  late  maturing  varieties  it  reduces  the  average  size. 

In  general  the  weight  of  100  ears  has  increased,  and  the  number  of 
ears_Jper  acre  decreased  with  the  lateness  of  maturing.  The  pounds 
of  ear  corn,  as  weighed  when  husked,  which  must  be  taken  to  make  a 
bushel  of  air-dry  shelled  corn,  invariably  increases  with  the  lateness  of 
maturity.  This  is  due  largely  to  the  fact  that  the  per  cent  of  water  is 
greater  in  the  late  maturing  varieties  when  husked.  In  two  years  of  the 
four  the  pounds  of  ear  corn  as  shelled  required  to  make  a  bushel  of  air- 
dry  shelled  corn  was  less  in  the  late  maturing  varieties  than  in  the 
medium. 


1892.] 


FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,     189!. 


55 


6  late. 


19  medium. 


13  early. 


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t^  •>*•  -^-od  4-  i>>vd  ro 
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M  g  M'vo  ro 
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en  t^. 


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8  late. 


M  Q\  PO  o  in  0    v     m  M 


M        M  invo  \o 
t---oo  t^-co  invd 


29  medium. 


O 

ON 


TJ-  moo  rovo  t^  m 


14  early. 


O  oo    roo    v      rn  -^-  Q    •<*•  "T50    ^ 
M  (.^  „  QQ   in  M   TJ-V 

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m  rooo 


22  late. 


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vo   ro  O^ 


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42  medium. 


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M  oo'  Ti-od  vd  POu^jno  N  °  M 

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27   early. 


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JS 


: 


^-^^U-0  ^  3j 
iSJUS-S-s-s-0? 


- 


BULLETIN     NO.   2O. 


[April, 


Average  of  3 
specimen  ears 

Circumfer- 
ence of  cob,  in. 

i  : 

*f  : 

\ 

vo      • 

^  : 

°-  : 

CO       • 

AA*S*.5 

r^S  Tt-S 

: 

* 

Circumfer- 
ence of  ear,  in. 

ro    • 

M 

vO      • 

N     • 

M 

H         • 

ro     • 

vo      • 

r5»»^ 

•*•  I^  M 
vO  vd  vd  vd 

vd 

vd    '. 

00     .  vo      .  vO      .  vO 

O      . 

Length  of  ear, 
inches. 

^  : 

oo  : 

CO       . 

t-^  t^oo  tr^co  oo 

r^  t-^  t^co 

jg 

Ears. 

c<  c»  "">  ro  mvo 

CN  vO 

m  ON 

t  "?" 

M   c^  ro  roco   ^o        m  C^  ON 

ro  r^i         r^ 

ro  -^-  ^f  Tt- 

ro 

Stalks. 

oo  r^co  ro  mo 
vd  vd  t>.  t^-  1>.  c-^ 

•3-00 
t^.  t^. 

TJ-  ^-  Tj-oo   ON        Tj-roMCOvOi-it^.t^  C^vO   v~>  ON 
l>.  t^.  tivd  00   ONCO'  06  oo'  t^  t^co'   t*.co   >o  {>-.  l>-  t>- 

Percentage  of  barren 
stalks. 

ON 

ro    • 

M         * 

8 

VO 

m 

M 

" 

O 

M 

OO    ro  t^-  ro  TJ-VO 

m  ON  N  vo 

Percentage     of     full 
stand  of  stalks. 

£ 

00       • 

ON    • 

a 

ON 

OO 

CO 

ON 

vO 

CO 

c< 

t^»  M  vn  ro  M  r* 

CO  CO  OO    ON  t^CO 

O    t^-  ro  in 
ONCO   t^  ON 

Percentage     germin- 
ating in  field. 

$8 

—  -Y-"- 

ro  O1 
ONCO 

^  ,  -~ 

N    O 

ON  ON 

N  00 

ONCO 

—  -Y—  • 

M  VO 

ONOO 

O^  0s!  O^  00 

vO    ro  ON  rovo   ro  ^-  M    Tf  N   M   in 
ON  ONCO   ONCO   ON  t^co  CO    ONOO   ON 

1 

| 

i 

: 

1 

:  :  •  : 

. 

I 

.     .    .         .  rt 

Marblehead,  Mass. 
Champaign,  111.... 
Thorntown,  Ind  
Thorntown,  Ind  .  .  .  . 

Champaign,  111. 

Champaign,  111.. 

Emerson,  la  

Champaign,  111. 

rt 
H 

Princeton,  111.  .  . 

1—  1 

S 

1 

CD 

Champaign,  111. 

Emerson,  la  .... 
Columbus,  Ohio 
Onarga,  111  
Onarga,  111  
Chicago,  111  
Mechanicsville,  ] 

varieties. 
University  farm  

University  farm  

en 

1 

University  farm  

H.  P.  Edmonds  

Clement  Freeman.  .  .  . 

G 

1 

CD 
CJ 

University  farm  

*  en     '          .     * 

O1^'  ^  J3  ^ 

oo  hj         • 

g  <  ffi  a  ^ 

Iff 

1 
IH 

0 

OJ 

rt 

1 

.  .  .  .  ^ 

Yellou 
(•  Learning  

:  i  i  :§  : 

t  Champaign  

\  Legal  Tender  

t  Murdock  

t  Edmonds  

2 

OJ 

*o 
1 

S 

^*~*^-~ 

t  Golden  beauty..  . 

t  Learning  

fornia  yellow  .  .  . 
rage  

rk's  Iroquois.  .  . 
rk's  Onarga.  .  .  . 
ster  county  mam 
ie  of  Kansas.  .  . 

L."            •    "C 

o    •  o 

•36ods£ 

wl§l 

_ri 

ro  T 

I-  mvo 

C->.00   ON  O    M   cs 

ro  T 

f  mvo 

ro  ^t-.no  txoo 

N   ro  ro  ro 

1892.] 


FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,     189] 


57 


vq  oo  vo  f>-  o  r-^  •<*-     oo    • 


co  c\       «o 

!  m  m       •<!- 


vO  vO  vO   1O  vO  vO    to       vO      I  vO      •   1O  vd  vO  vo  vO  O    10  vO      •     I  vO  vO        vO      •  vO 


M  m          o  t^vo       vo       CM  M  t^  *o  c^vo  vo  o^  t^co  r^vo   ^~  *o 
oo  oo  oo  i^vd  t>-  «o       t>-vo  oo  cd  oo  oo  oo  oo  t>.od  06  oo'  oo  cK  t>cd 


CM  oo  moo  oo  CM  o        10       N     •  m  o>  mo  o  •*•  o^  mvo 


M     M     CM  M 


vO    O  O    >0  rt-  O 
00    t^  C»  O\  m  CT> 


m 
O 


rt 

M         *••  iS  .So.S     S  S  So  M  ^  d :  |  l~l  '•«" w  o  .2P.S)  a^S  ^     .w'.sc^"1 
g     ^"  g" *j  ^  |      o  c '§,'§.'§  M. -g  §  g  g"§  §, S.S  g S      D. cL  S 

ia.i^Eij«i| .;]] 

S§6      £«f 

.•a    "S?*1-*43S||^«|^*jj;al^a^S|"<i|^ 

(IH       ^cdS^M-^     •,x>>>2S       WkHfe2^yCrdnQT3^'o"o 

.-     ^  w  ^  -g  ^  s:  u  u  -5  -g  6  ^'  Bi  ^  S  _  6       •  8   .  S  C  B  §  ° 

S    i-i M Q D M  § nA^tp D M ffi AQ^ H^S c7)d^fa^ifa  gd.a.H- 

-^ -jj     .     .     . 

::::::  :^  :::::::::::::::  :*S   :  :  : 

'  ;  :j  :  :.^jj  :  :  i  i  !  !  §  !  :  :  :  :  :  i|  !  :  : 

I  :g    ;|§§ ; ; : ;  j  ;'| ;;;;;;  •&  : : ' 

•3  a  ^    •£     ^  ^  :  i  •  i  -"^  r  ^  :  •  .•  :  :  :  ; 
>,S^     g     s  *         •  •  "S  ' *«  '  ^ •-  : *2  * *S 

gslfl    I    1ta:a:ilt  ;sjl!Ib:l 

^  i  I  It  i  -ill  fifiji  8i  aj  I  •!  1 1 1  i  s 

SSu 


5  BULLETIN    NO.   2O.  [April, 

VARIETY  OF  CORN;  POUNDS  OF  EAR  CORN  WHEN  HUSKED,  WHEN  SHELLED;    POUNDS 

OF  EAR  CORN  PER  Bu.  WHEN  SHELLED;  BUSHELS  SHELLED  CORN  PER  ACRE; 

TOTAL  AIR-DRY  CORN;  Loss  IN  DRYING,  1891. 


1 

2 

p 

I 

2 

3 
4 

6 

7 
8 

9 

10 

ii 

12 
J3 

J4 
15 
16 

J7 
18 

19 

20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 

33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
4° 
4i 
42 
43 

8 

47 
48 
49 
50 
5i 
52 
53 

Name  of  Variety. 

>T} 
o  » 

B* 

3    3 

cr  P 

3£ 
?3- 
££ 

S.» 

£ 

15-1 
15 

19.4 
15-9 

17 

18.1 
i3-3 
14 

14.9 
17.6 
18.5 
16 

15-3 
15 
15-3 
14.1 
ii.  i 
13-8 
15-5 
15-2 
14.6 
16.2 
16.1 
17.2 
19  i 
13 
22.5 
14.8 
17.2 
18.5 
15  4 
14-5 
14.4 
18.3 
14.8 
13.2 
19.4 
20.3 
16 
18.3 
24.6 
16 
14.4 
13-0 
16-3 
12.7 
15-8 
21.7 

20 

Lb.  ear  corn  per  acre 
when  husked. 

5 

Is 

CD    ^ 
0   0 

r§ 

rs 

P 

o 

3 

3954 

r 

cr 

*  a 

cr  p 

CD    "t 

0  o 

en   0 

cr  -i 
CD  d 

r§ 

cr 
c 

|S 

^* 

cr  cr 

g  8 

<Lcr 

«5.| 
7  % 

Q.P. 
^0 

75-7 

Bu.  shelled 
corn  per  acre. 

g 

P^ 
P 

on 

VI 

I 
1 

57-3 

9 

£ 

P 

1 

^ 

54-7 

1 

5 
a 
vj 

1 

\  Learning  \ 

4140 
4290 
4500 
4800 
4260 
4320 
4800 
5100 
3900 

4350 
4050 
4480 
6000 
6800 
5550 
5720 
5460 
5880 
4830 
4920 
4860 
5480 
5040 
3900 
4860 
4680 
4740 
5550 
3600 
4800 
5400 
6930 
546o 
4500 
4020 
4920 
444° 
444° 
4080 
5700 
4500 
558o 
5280 
4025 
4350 
4170 
2520 
4380 
2340 
4350 
3600 
3660 

68  9 

2.6 

(                                                                 ( 
\  Champaign  ...                               .  .  \ 

4250 

66.2 

73-4 

64.2 

61.3 

2-9 

(                                                              ( 
•]  Legal  tender  \ 

4052 

4034 
4560 

4615 
378o 

4*35 
3896 
4289 
5227 
5828 
5184 
5291 
5038 
5470 
4527 
4699 
4616 
5257 
4772 
3721 
4544 
4364 
43*4 
4860 

3484 
4220 
5184 
6422 
4980 
4212 
3864 
47*5 
4158 
4254 
3965 
5028 
391-2 
5300 
4892 
3412 
4106 

3967 
2428 

4J35 
2308 
4044 
3048 
3000 

65.5 
66.1 
68.5 
68.7 

65.3 
65.8 
67.1 
66.7 

67 
67.2 
67.6 
67.3 
65.4 
65-5 
67.2 
66.6 
68.1 
67 
65.3 
666 

65.5 
64-5 
66.8 
68.8 
65.2 

63.5 
67.1 
66.9 
68.4 
69.6 
66.1 

67.3 
66.5 

65 
67.2 
69.6 
64.2 
66 
68.8 

71-4 
66.3 

63-5 
67.1 
67.1 

65-9 
68.4 
71.9 
66.8 

76.1 
75 
77-3 
82.7 
69.1 
7i-5 

61.8 
61 
66.5 
67.2 

57-9 
62.9 
58.1 

56 
57-6 
62.1 
61.8 

56.4 
60.8 

5-8 
3-4 
4  4 
5-4 
i-5 

2.1 

Murdock  

Edmonds  .  .                                     .  .  \ 

1 

•j  Golden  Beauty  • 

73 
83-1 
85-6 
76.8 

76.5 
74.2 

74 
74-3 
69.8 

74 
73  2 
72.2 
72.8 
74-3 
73-4 
78.9 
86.8 

69 
82.9 

73 
77-6 
82.5 
78.1 
71.7 
71-3 
77-4 
70.9 

7i 
87-3 
82.4 
73-6 
80.5 
99-4 
74-5J 
71.6 
71.2 
756 
68.2 
78.6 
96.2 
824! 

64-4 
78 
86.7 
76.6 
78.6 
77 
83-5 
67.4 
70.6 
67.8 
78.5 
73-1 
55-8 
69.4 

67.7 
64.6 

70-5 
53-4 
66.5 
77-2 
96 
72.9 
60.6 

58.4 
70.1 
62.6 
65-4 
59 
72.2 
60.9 
80  3 
71.1 
47.8 
61.9 
60.5 
36.2 
60.4 
35 
59-i 
425 
49-4 

61.4 
72.2 
79-4 
72.3 
74-8 
73-6 
79-5 
65 
70.5 

65-7 
74-9 
69.8 
53-6 
65-4 
63.8 
60.  i 
64.1 
52-2 
57-9 
74 
89-3 
66.2 
576 
56-1 
69 
57-4 
62.6 

57-5 
65-3 
54-6 
75-8 
65-3 
40-5 
58.4 
58.2 

35-4 
57-9 
34-3 
55-3 
37-4 
44-4 

5-8 
7-3 
4-3 
3-8 
3-4 
4 

2-4 

.1 

2.1 

3-6 

3-3 

2.2 

4 
3-9 

4-5 
6.4 

1.2 

8.6 

3-2 

6-7 
6-7 
3 
2-3 
i.i 
5-2 

2.8 

i-5 
69 
6-3 
4-5 
5-8 
7  3 
3-5 
2  3 
.8 

2-5 

3'-8 
5-i 
5 

Learning  

• 
Champion  white  pearl  . 

\  Burr's  white.  .                                 .  .  \ 

?                                                                  1 
\  Blue  river  \ 

California  yellow  

Clarage  

Clark's  Iroquis   .... 

Clark's  Onarga  

Chester  county  mammoth    .  . 

Pride  of  Kansas  

Early  Butler 

Hickory  king  

Dunlap's  white   

Boone  county  white  

Ivory  dent  

Murdock  

Riley's  favorite  

Munns   

Fisk's  yellow  ,  .    ... 

Yellow  dent  

Clarke  county  champion 

Fisk's  white  

Hickory  king  

McMillan's  white  

Huston's  white  . 

Helms  improved  

Steward's  improved  yellow  

Haber's  early  dent  

Hathaway's  early  dent 

Murdock  

Queen  of  the  North  

Peck's  white    . 

Helms  improved  .... 

Cranberry  

1892.] 


FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,     l8gi. 


59 


.d 

1 

8 

'o 

i 

Average  ears. 

t^  inoo        in  M  int-^M   •*$-  ON  co  N  ON  M  \o 

co  r^  ONO  co  oo  M  ON  m  ^t-oo  o  oo  o  t^  M  ON 

Nubbins. 

ON  w  vo   N  o  ON  06  ino  N  ooo"  in  co  M  in  ON 

N    COPOCOPON    tO  PO  CO  PO  N    N    N    N    PON    N 

Good  ears. 

coo  N  o  ON  -^-oo  oo  M'  o  t^-  PO  M  oo  oo'  oo  M 

i 

'o 
6 

Total. 

ooooooooooooooooo 

O    OO    O    ^J-  T}-  CN    Tj-rovQ    -^  0    O   O  00  00  O 
i^  O  1-1   ^t"  ^J~  O  ino   N  r^oo   O  o  o  oo  oo  c^ 

O    ON  O  OO    ON  GO    ON  ON  C^  O    ONO    O    t^OO    C^CO 

MM                                                        MM 

Nubbins. 

M    mt^O    t-^M    N    MVO    O    POOOOOO    t^O 
M    M  Jt^  •<*•  ONOO    M    ON  rf-00    t^  ^-  in  PO  O    N    PO 
CO  N  00    NO    O>  N    t^Tj-rOrj-ONO    t^OO    O    ON 

TJ-COPON    N    M    COCOCOm^l-N    mcOCOTfTj- 

Good  ears. 
Plat 

O>  >n  co  O   co  ONCO    O^O    O   t^O    N    Tf^-fO'^- 
rooo  OO  O    •*•  m  O    "4-  ONOO  O  vo    "i-O   t^  m  N 

•^-t>.N    M    C^O'POCO    t^POPOO    ONOO    OOOOO 

o  in  o  O  O  O  O  *n  co  in  in  co  ^*  PO  in  co  co 

I 

8 

•H 

O 

Average  ears. 

M           N    ON  t^OO    CO  M    CO  CO  M    O>  N    POOO  O  O 

•^-  N  in  -4-  r^»  in  N  coo  O  o  co  o'  6  co  N  M 

Nubbins. 

co  moo  mcoONMco           omcot^M        M 

N    N    COPOPOPOCON    PON    N    COPOPOPON    N 

Good  ears. 

N  O  ^O  co  M        in  t^       ^  POO  M  inoo  PO 
i>.ininM  inN  o  N  oo  ri-rocooo'  CO-^-M 

o 

OJ 

I 

12 

i 

"8 

0 

Total. 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

ooo  oo  o  oooo  oooo  NOO  -^--^-0 

M    <N  vO    M  00    ^1-  l>>  ^O  00    M    O   t^.  t^O  O  O 

OOOO   O>00    ON  O   t^OO    ON  O\  O   O   t~~  ONOO 

M     M     M     M                               M                                       MM 

Nubbins. 

N  inoo   Ooo  t-^^ror^^O   cooo  ONCOO 
oo   ONONcomM   QNinMvo   ONO   N   M  t^  t^-oo 
t^  PO  t^oo  oo  t^o  ^  o  N  M  co  ON  ^o  in  in 

Good  ears. 

00    mrJ-Tj-O     N    COO    t^COO    -<J-t^N    M    t^O 

t^oo   o  N  inoo  o  N  co   M  vo  in  co  ^o  O  N 
coco  oo   co  oto   O   O  mo  ONO  oo   co  ON  O   O 

m^-m^inm^^^^^^coco  ^i-mo 

Plat. 

ON  O     M    N    CO   ^  inO    t^OO    ON   O     M    N    CO  ^-  in 
MNNNNNNNNNNPOCOCOPOCOCO 

8 

8 

•M 

0 

Average  ears. 

•^~    •  PO       POOO       o  oo  t^  in  M  t^oo  ^  co  t^  *™* 

Nubbins. 

M     .  co      o  co      oo  in  N  coo  m  TT  r>-  in  M  TJ- 

co    *oi       ooJONNo'ooinoNt>.o'o6coo6N 

CO      .N            NCONCONNNNCO^NPONPO 

Good  ears. 

M       .    f^         C^    CO  N    t^  ON  N  O    ON        00  00    N    ONO 

in    I  t^-       "i-oo'  O'ONOOCOMOMOO'NMNM 
in    .  ^-       ininininTj-mTf  ino  o  m\o  O  O 

i 

1, 

<L> 

VH 

O 

o 

Total. 

oooooooooooooooooo 

O     NO     ON     N     Tj-NOO     ONOOO     OO     O     Tj-Q 

ON  M  POO  t^  inoo  in  rj-oo  t^  N  »no  t^  O  o  N 

ON  ON  0  0    ONOO    OOONONOOONONOOOO 

Nubbins. 

^-    .  oo        in  N  ON  M  o   ^oo  oo  oo   •'t-oo  o  inoo 
•^    •  ON    •  oo  NOO  oo  co  t^  M  M  ^  ^-  inoo  co 

-*•    .  ^    .coM^Ncoin^^-NNNcocoro 

Good  ears. 

O      •    N      •    moo    MQNOONNNON    -^-mN 

in    .m    ,mt>.o"'t^.mrfmot^.Ooo"ooo" 

Plat. 

M  N  co-^-mo  t^oo  ONO  M   N  co-^-mo  r^oo   j 

6o 


BULLETIN    NO.   2O. 


[April, 


Each  year  the  medium  maturing  varieties  have  made  the  largest 
yield ;  the  average  yield  of  air-dry  shelled  corn  for  the  four  years  being 
73.1  bu.  per  acre,  which  is  12.4  bu.  more  than  the  average  of  the  early 
maturing  and  5.4  bu.  more  than  that  of  the  late  maturing  varieties. 

The  largest  yield  in  1891,  89.3  bu.  per  acre,  was  made  on  plat  32 
by  Boone  county  white,  and  exceeds  by  9.8  bu.  the  next  greatest  yield, 
which  was  made  on  plat  18  by  champion  white  pearl.  Boone  county 
white  is  a  medium  maturing  variety,  seed  obtained  from  Jas.  Riley, 
Thorntown,  Ind.,  containing  about  an  average  of  17.2  per  cent  of  water 
and  a  very  low  per  cent  (3)  of  barren  stalks.  Two  plats  only  had  a 
greater  number  of  ears  per  acre,  and  one  only,  plat  14  of  golden  beauty, 
gives  a  greater  weight  per  100  average  ears.  This  same  variety  also 
held  a  high  rank  in  the  preceding  season,  being  exceeded  by  3.5  bu.  per 
acre  only  by  the  largest  yield  for  that  season.  [See  Bulletin  No.  13.] 

The  following  table  gives  the  yield  for  each  of  eight  varieties  for 
five  years,  and  of  eleven  for  four  years,  arranged  in  the  order  of  the 
average  yield,  beginning  with  the  highest.  Of  these  varieties,  cham- 
pion white  pearl,  Burr's  white,  and  Helms  improved  are  white;  the  re- 
mainder yellow.  Murdock  .and  Edmonds  are  early  maturing,  Helms 
improved  is  late,  and  the  remaining  ones  are  medium. 

A  comparison  of  the  white  and  yellow  varieties  for  1891  shows  au 
average  yield  of  64.3  bu.  per  acre  for  the  white  and  60.2  bu.  for  the 
yellow. 

YIELD  OF  AIR-DRY  CORN  OF  VARIETIES   TESTED  FOR  THE  YEARS  NAMED. 


Eight  varieties  tested  in 

1887. 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

1891. 

Average. 

Champion  white  pearl 

20.2 
29.6 
30. 
32.4 

33-3 
25-8 
27.7 
30.8 

70 
86.6 

85.9 
91.2 
80.3 
84.2 

83.7 
81.8 

94-8 
80.6 

75-7 
68.7 

65 
68.9 
66.3 
66.1 

74-9 
69.4 
67.7 
54-7 
61.6 
60 
55-9 
53-3 

76.5 
67.3 

67.7 

58.4 
59-8 
56.8 
58.6 
56.1 

67-3 
66.7 

65-4 
61.1 
60 
59-1 
58.4 
57-5 

Learning 

Burr's  white 

Steward's  improved  yellovy  

Murdock  r^C;  .  .  .  '  

Legal  tender 

Kdmonds                     .'  .  -  ~    v  I 

Riley's  favorite  :  

Eleven  varieties  tested  in 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

1891. 

Average. 

Champion  white  pearl  

70 
86.6 

85.9 
84.8 
76.6 
68.5 
91.2 
84.2 
80.3 

83.7 
81.1 

94-8 
80.6 

75-7 

102.6 

79.5 
81.9 
68.7 
68.7 
65 

66.3 
66.1 

74-9 
69.4 
67.7 

5i.i 
61.7 

59 
54-7 
60 
61.6 
55-9 
53-3 

76.5 
67.3 
67.7 

39 
57-4 
65.4 
58.4 
56.8 
59-8 
58.6 
56.1 

79 
76 
74.2 

69-4 
68.8 
68.7 
68.2 
67.4 
66.7 
66.1 
64-3 

Burr's  white  |.  .-(",.  .  .•A'YJpSA  .  .  .. 

Fisk's  yellow  

Clark's  Iroquois  .  .    

Steward's  improved  yellow 

Legal  tender 

Murdock  .... 

Riley's  favorite  

Edmonds  

Experiment  No.  j.      Corn,  Time  of  Planting. 

Experiments  to  test  the  effect  of  time  of  planting  on  yield  have  been 
conducted  for  the  past  four  years.     Each  year  the  corn  was  planted  on 


I892.] 


FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,    189!. 


61 


fall-plowed  land  and  the  plats  were  prepared  in  the  same  manner  just 
before  they  were  planted. 

The  ground  used  in  1891  had  been  in  corn  during  1890.  The 
plats,  eight  in  number,  were  each  nine  by  thirty-six  hills,  or  one-tenth 
of  an  acre,  and  were  planted  with  a  medium  maturing  variety  of  white 
dent  (Burr's  white)  four  kernels  per  hill,  3  ft.  8  in.  apart  each  way. 
The  first  plat  was  planted  April  25th,  and  one  plat  was  planted  each 
week  thereafter  till  June  i3th.  All  the  plats  were  cultivated  three 
times  with  a  shallow-going  cultivator  and  the  weeds  remaining  were 
removed  with  a  hoe.  After  the  corn  was  well  up  the  number  of  plants 
on  each  plat  was  ascertained.  With  the  exception  of  plat  8,  which  had 
but  little  more  than  half  a  stand,  there  was  from  four-fifths  to  nine- 
tenths  of  a  full  stand.  Beginning  with  June  8th  the  tallest  stalk  in 
each  hill  of  one  row  running  across  the  8  plats  was  measured  each  week 
during  the  growing  season.  The  average  height  in  inches  to  the  tip  of 
tassel  and  upstretched  leaf  for  each  plat  is  given  in  the  table  for  each 
week. 

AVERAGE  HEIGHTS  TAKEN  WEEKLY  IN  INCHES  TO  TIP  OF  TASSEL  AND  LEAF. 


Plat. 

Jun. 

8. 

Jun. 
15- 

Jun. 

22. 

Jun. 
30. 

July 
6. 

July 
13- 

July 

20. 

July 
27. 

Aug 
3- 

Aug 
10. 

Aug 

17- 

Aug 
24. 

Aug 
31- 

Sep. 

7- 

Sep. 

21. 

(  Tassel 

80 

93 

98 

99 

99 

97 

97 

97 

97 

1  1  Leaf.  .  . 
j  Tassel  . 

26 

40 

58 

81 

86 

93 
65 

98 

81 

99 
96 

99 
96 

IOO 

97 

97 

06 

97 
96 

96 
95 

95 
95 

.... 

2  \  Leaf.  .  . 
(  Tassel 

19 

3i 

47 

69 

75 

82 
C4 

90 

68 

95 
88 

95 

IOI 

96 

IO3 

95 

IO2 

95 
103 

92 
103 

92 

IO2 

IO2 

}  Leaf.  .  . 
Tassel  . 

J4 

23 

36 

59 

67 

75 

85 

53 

94 
69 

100 

89 

IOI 
97 

IO2 

96 

IOO 

98 

99 

08 

98 

97 

98 

97 

4  1  Leaf... 
{  Tassel 

8 

H 

24 

41 

49 

58 

69 

81 

54. 

92 

75 

95 

Q4 

97 

Q4 

96 

Q7 

94 
07 

93 

94 

92 

94 

5  }  Leaf.  .  . 
f.  \  Tassel 

4 

9 

16 

3i 

39 

46 

58 

73 

84 

93 

58 

94 
78 

95 
95 

94 
97 

93 
96 

91 

97 

b  '(  Leaf.  .  . 

3 

T8 

22 

->8 

^6 

48 

58 

69 

77 

91 

92 

91 

9° 

\  Tassel  . 

65 

90 

97 

97 

97 

96 

7  \  Leaf 

18 

24 

32 

4O 

64 

77 

88 

qa 

93 

93 

92 

o  (  Tassel  . 

72 

87 

96 

96 

96 

8  \  Leaf.  .  . 

2 

8 

12 

18 

26 

38 

47 

60 

76 

92 

95 

94 

93 

September  5th  plats  i  and  2  were  ripe,  while  an  occasional  husk  of 
plat  3  was  turning  brown,  the  remaining  plats  being  green. 

October  i3th  plats  3  to  5  were  ripe;  6  and  7,  nearly  ripe;  and  8, 
quite  green. 

October  3ist  to  November  2d  the  corn  was  husked  and  weighed,  a 
fifty-pound  sample  from  each  plat  being  taken  to  the  storehouse,  where 
it  remained  for  three  weeks,  when  it  was  again  weighed,  shelled,  both 
corn  and  cobs  weighed,  and  a  pint  sample  of  the  shelled  corn  sent  to 
the  laboratory  for  the  determination  of  water. 

The  per  cent  of  water  increased  with  the  lateness  of  planting. 
The  reason  it  took  so  many  pounds  of  ear  corn  from  plat  8  as  husked 
to  make  a  bushel  of  air-dry  shelled  corn  was  not  due  wholly  to  the  high 
per  cent  of  water,  but  was  in  part  because  the  cobs  were  not  fully  filled 


62 


BULLETIN    NO.   2O. 


[April, 


with  kernels.  This  was  due  probably  to  the  ravages  of  some  insects 
upon  the  silks  during  the  period  of  pollenization.  The  same  was  true 
to  a  less  extent  of  plats  6  and  7.  There  was  but  little  difference  in  the 
yield  of  plats  i  to  5,  but  6  to  8  were  much  lower  in  yield. 

The  average  yields  for  the  four  years  are  in  favor  of  planting  from 
the  nth  to  i6th  of  May,  any  time  in  May  being  safe  for  a  medium 
maturing  variety ;  but  either  earlier  or  later  than  this  there  is  some  risk. 

YIELD  OF  CORN  AND  PER  CENT  OF  WATER  IN  CORN  FROM  PLATS  PLANTED  AT  DATES 

NAMED,   1891. 


Dates. 

When  husked 

When  shelled. 

e.w 

7  c 

d.  " 

?1 

g 

*. 

Pounds  ear 
corn  per  plat. 

^3 

•"ii 

cr  3 

eg- 

S-5 

Pounds  ear 
corn  per  plat. 

Per  cent 
moisture  in 
shelled  corn. 

Bu.  shelled 
corn  per  acre. 

April  25                                        

355 
357 
344 
370 
421 
330 
367 
248 

69.9 
70.8 
7°-9 

74-4 
80 
96.8 

97-9 
127.8 

349-6 
351-6 
337-1 
360.7 

397-8 
301.9 

330.3 

217 

M 

!4.6 

14.8 
17 
19  3 
24 
23-9 
3i-5 

52-6 
52.6 
50.7 
53-3 
57-9 
40 

43  9 
25-2 

50.8 
504 
48.5 

497 
52  5 
34-  1 
37-5 
19.4 

May      2                                        

"          q 

•«  16  .:::...:.:.:  v 

11          23 

'  '          30                                         

June     8              

"       13  ••••• 

YIELD  OF  AIR-DRY  CORN    FROM    PLANTINGS  AT  DIFFERENT  DATES,  1888,  1889,  1890, 

1891. 


Dates. 

Bushels  air-dry  corn  per  acre. 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

1891. 

Aver- 
age. 

52 
44 
5i 
56 
50 
55 
50 
50 

5i 
50 
48 
50 
52 
34 
37 
19 

5i 
60 

64 
67 
65 
61 

57 
45 

80 

87 
86 

87 
83 
81 
50 

67 
71 
75 
71 
74 
61 
60 

May  4-9 

"   11-16 

"   26-30 

"   8-13 

Experiment  No.  5.      Corn,  Thickness  of  Planting. 

On  a  tract  of  fall-plowed  land  27  rows  of  corn  3  ft.  8  in.  apart, 
were  planted,  three  rows  with  single  kernels  three  inches  apart;  three 
with  single  kernels  six  inches  apart;  and  three  with  single  kernels  nine 
inches  apart;  also  three  rows  with  three  kernels  every  nine  inches;  three 
with  three  kernels  every  18  inches,  and  three  with  three  kernels  every 
27  inches.  This  was  at  the  rate  of  47,520,  23,760,  and  15,840  kernels 
per  acre. 


i892.] 


FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,     1891. 


The  weight  of  too  ears,  and  of  100  stalks,  the  number  of  ears,  and 
the  bushels  of  corn  per  acre  were  greatest  from  the  thinnest  plantings, 
and  least  from  the  thickest  plantings.  The  total  yield  and  the  yield  of 
stalks  was  greatest  from  the  thickest  planting.  Corresponding  results 
have  been  secured  in  each  of  the  three  preceding  years. 

YIELDS  OF  CORN  FROM  PLATS  OF  THE  SAME  SIZE,  AND  WITH  THE  SAME  NUMBER  OF 

ROWS,   BUT    PLANTED   WITH  SEED  VARYING    IN  AMOUNT,    AND     IN    MANNER    OF    DIS- 
TRIBUTION,   1891. 


2 

p 

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ChfB      J*. 

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7,830 

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11.9 

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792 

532 

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6,570 

4,380 

8,850 

27-5 

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432 

81.8 

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9,240 

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21 

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44 

36 

6 

3 

27 

528 

376 

71.2 

5-475 

3,060 

8,790 

25 

27-5 

78 

34-5 

A  second  experiment  was  made  to  compare  the  effect  of  planting 
in  hills  at  different  distances  and  with  differing  numbers  of  kernels  in 
the  hills. 

The  tract  used  for  this  experiment  had  been  in  corn  in  1890  and  was 
fall-plowed.  There  were  36  plats,  each  nine  hills  square,  so  planted 
that  corn  grew  on  every  side  of  each  plat.  May  i4th  the  corn,  which 
was  Learning  and  Burr's  white,  two  medium  maturing  varieties,  and 
early  Butler,  an  early  maturing  variety,  was  dropped  by  hand  and 
covered  with  a  hoe.  June  ist  to  zyth  the  corn  was  cultivated  three 
times  with  a  shallow-going  cultivator  and  the  remaining  weeds  removed 
with  a  hoe. 

October  26th  to  29th  the  corn  was  husked  and  the  number  of  barren 
stalks,  the  total  number  of  stalks,  the  number  of  ears  and  the  weight  of 
ears  were  ascertained  for  each  plat.  The  distance  between  hills,  the 
number  of  kernels  per  hill,  the  ratio  of  stalks  grown  to  kernels  planted, 
the  per  cent  of  barren  stalks,  the  number  per  acre  of  kernels  planted, 
stalks  grown,  and  ears  harvested,  the  weight  of  100  ears,  and  the  yield 
per  acre  in  bushels  (70  Ib.  per  bushel)  for  each  plat  of  each  variety  are 
given  in  the  table. 

In  general,  as  the  rate  of  thickness  in  planting  increases  the  ratio 
of  stalks  grown  to  kernels  planted  and  weight  of  100  ears  decrease, 
while  the  per  cent  of  barren  stalks  increases.  The  same  is  more  notice- 
able in  the  table  giving  the  average  of  four  plats  for  each  of  the 
six  rates  of  planting.  In  this  table  also  it  will  be  seen  that,  excepting 
the  thickest  planting,  the  yield  per  acre  increases  with  the  increase  in 


BULLETIN"    NO.   20. 


rate  of  planting.  For  three  kernels  per  hill  the  maximum  yield  is  from 
hills  three  feet  apart  each  way  and  the  minimum  from  hills  3  ft.  8  in. 
apart  each  way.  For  four  kernels  per  hill  the  maximum  yield  is  from 
hills  3  ft.  8  in.  by  3  ft.,  with  but  slight  decrease  for  either  of  the  other 
two  distances. 

Using  only  the  medium  maturing  varieties  there  was  an  average 
yield  of  64.3  bu.  per  acre  from  eight  plats,  planted  at  the  rate  of  less 
than  ten  thousand  kernels;  from  eight  plats  planted  at  the  rate  of 
eleven  to  thirteen  thousand,  68.9  bu.;  from  ten  plats  planted  at  the 

YIELDS  FROM  PLATS  OF  THE  SAME  SIZE  PLANTED  WITH  CORN  IN  HILLS  AT  DIFFER- 
ENT DISTANCES  APART,  AND  WITH  A  VARYING  NUMBER  OF  KERNELS  TO  THE 
HILL,  1891. 


2 

0' 

rt-  P_ 

** 

^ 

_K! 

£ 

Distance 

3 

P  n 

5'  2. 

o  51 

between 

7? 

CD    O 

C/5     p 

Number  per  acre, 

?2" 

hills, 

~5 

3   ^ 

0 

•   "a! 

Variety. 

feet 

n 

ST  & 

s, 

Ml 

'a  ^ 

and 
inches. 

3^ 

{jf<» 

8" 

Kernels 

Stalks 

Ears 

i 

8 

^s 

c  5 

' 

: 

P   «-^ 

5 

CD 

3 

planted. 

grown. 

har- 
vested. 

i 

•    c 

Burr's   white  

3-8'x3-8' 

4 

82 

9 

12,960 

10,600 

8,840 

55-9 

70.6 

•2. 

"           

4 

81 

9 

12,960 

10,480 

8,840 

58.6 

74 

3 

"           

ii       K 

3 

93 

9 

9,720 

9,120 

7,920 

57-5 

65.1 

4 

"           .... 

ii       ii 

3 

93 

ii 

9,720 

9,080 

8,080 

58.7 

67-9 

19 

" 

3-8'x3 

4 

68 

6 

15,840 

10,804 

8,849 

53-1 

67.2 

20 

ii       ii 

4 

74 

7 

15,840 

11,782 

10,267 

50.6 

74.2 

21 

"           

ii       ,, 

3 

87 

10 

1  1,  880 

10,364 

8,898 

55-1 

70 

22 

"           .... 

ii       ii 

3 

89 

9 

n,  880 

10,658 

8,849 

56 

70.9 

23 



3x3 

3 

78 

6 

14.520 

11,362 

9-927 

52.4 

74-3 

24 

1  '           .... 

ii       ii 

3 

81 

9 

14,520 

11,720 

9-867 

49 

69.2 

25 

.... 

ii       it 

4 

78 

12 

19,360 

15-249 

12,020 

44-7 

76.9 

20 

" 

"       " 

4 

78 

15 

19,360 

15,069 

12,139 

37-5 

65-1 

3i 

"           

ii 

3 

95 

14 

14-520 

13,873 

9,807 

55 

77-1 

32 



ii       ii 

3 

81 

7 

14-520 

11,780 

9,927 

53-8 

76.5 

33 

"           .... 

ii       ii 

2 

95 

6 

9,680 

9-209 

7,654 

66.4 

72.6 

34 

.... 

i.       ii 

2 

87 

3 

9,680 

8,432 

7,116 

66.6 

67.6 

35 

.... 

.•       ii 

2 

68 

i 

9,680 

6,578 

5,86o. 

62.5 

52.3 

36 

" 

ii       ii 

2 

84 

1.5 

9,680 

8,133 

7.834 

58.2 

65.1 

C 

Learning 

3     Q'  YQ     &  ' 

80 

8 

12,960 

10,  440 

9,  320 

46    2 

61.5 

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6 

«  1               II 

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12,960 

II,  I2O 

10,480 

T**  ' 

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f/  •  y 
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8,280 

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17 

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IS,  840 

W,     1    *,**! 
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10,804 

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82 

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j,  wit 
15,840 

12,076 

T-      *  :7 

76    4 

17 

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II 

80 

6 

II,  880 

9S3^ 

8,800 

51.8 

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6s  i 

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18 

I, 

II      II 

84 

11,880 

1  JOO 

10,071 

9  4^6 

4Q   7 

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67 

27 

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3x3 

2 

85 

. 
ii 

14,520 

12,438 

y,  ^to 
10,  166 

T'-'       / 

4Q.  2 

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71  .  C 

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II 

3 

D 

85 

14 

14,  520 

*-  **i  T-O 

12,498 

10,584 

T-"  .  A. 
44-  S 

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67.2 

2Q 

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II        .1 

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80 

T 

*  *t»  j*-^* 

IQ)  360 

IS   S48 

12  408 

T"T^      J 

^?Q  •  S 

/ 

70  .  7 

*"  J 

,< 

II      II 

77 

12 

IQ   ^60 

A  3»  D^ 

14,890 

*i  *r  y 

12    IQ9 

36  8 

64  3 

9 

Early  Butler  

3-8'x3-8' 

5 

/  / 
66 

10 

Ay,  o   w 
16,200 

10,760 

*  *j  ^yy 
9,800 

O1-'  •  w 

v*t  •  J 

49-1 

10 

"             

5 

66 

9 

l6,200 

10,720 

10,360 

34.3 

ii 

•'             

3-8'x  3 

4 

71 

II 

15,840 

11.342 

IO.022 

34-1 

48^8 

12 

1  « 

it       ii 

4 

70 

9 

15,840 

11,098 

10,364 

37 

54-8 

I  } 

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"       " 

3 

85 

4 

II,  880 

10,071 

8,849 

37-4 

48 

T4 

"             .... 

ii       ii 

3 

81 

4 

II,  880 

9-631 

9,093 

39-8 

5i-7 

I892.] 


FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,     189!. 


rate  of  fourteen  to  sixteen  thousand,  72  bu.;  and  from  four  plats  planted 
at  the  rate  of  about  nineteen  thousand  kernels  per  acre,  69.2  bu. 

This   single  experiment   showed    a  slight   increase   in  yield    from 
planting  two  or  three  thousand  kernels  per  acre  more  than  when  four 
kernels  per  hill  are  planted  in  hills  3  ft.  8  in.  apart  each  way,  but  the 
increased  labor  in  harvesting  the  larger  number  of  ears  may  partially 
if  not  wholly,  counterbalance  the  small  gain. 
AVERAGE  YIELDS  OF  CORN  FROM  six  GROUPS  OF  PLATS,  FOUR  IN  EACH  GROUP,  PLANTED 

AT    DIFFERENT    RATES,     l8gi. 


— 

^ 

K? 

Distance 

r^** 

CD 
n 

s 

O    £T. 

Ert 

Numbers  per  acre. 

«•  2 

t3  OQ' 

•—  rr 

2 

O    &» 

between 

o 

CD    O 

^§ 

cr  ^ 

„ 

Varieties, 

hills, 

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CD 

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0 

•°''rt 

Learning  and  Burr's  white. 

feet 

9 

DT£L 

O 

3 

3 

s-3 

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and 

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cr  £ 

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Av.  of  4  plats,  2  L.  &  2  B.-w.  . 

3-8'x3-8' 

4 

82 

8.5 

12,960 

IO,66o 

9.370 

52.1 

69.5 

'             "              '           ' 

3 

90 

9 

9,720 

8,870 

8,110 

55-4 

64.3 

'             "              '           ' 

3-8'x3 

4 

76 

8 

15,840 

12,051 

10,499 

47-7 

'             "              '           ' 

ii       ii 

3 

85 

7 

n,88o 

10,156 

8,996 

53-i 

68.2 

'             "              '           ' 

3    x  3 

4 

78 

13 

19,360 

15.189 

12,214 

39-969.2 

1           *       .  . 

82 

10 

14.520 

12,004 

10,136 

48.8 

70.5 

Experiment  No.  6.      Corn,  Planting  m  Hills  or  Drills. 

A  tract  of  fall-plowed  land,  which  had  oecn  in  wheat  in  1890,  was 
planted  May  i8th  with  Burr's  white,  a  part  being  planted  in  hills,  3  ft. 
8  in.  apart  each  way,  and  part  in  drills,  the  rows  being  the  same  distance 
apart,  the  intention  being  to  drop  one  kernel  each  12  inches.  The 
planting  was  done  with  an  ordinary  check  rowing  planter  with  a  drill- 
ing attachment.  t 

The  plats  had  like  treatment,  each  being  cultivated  three  times. 
The  land  was  cultivated  only  one  way.  They  were  husked  Oct.  22d, 
and  the  yields  were  exactly  the  same,  71.8  bu.  per  acre. 

In  1890  there  was  a  considerably  larger  yield  from  the  corn  in 
hills  than  from  that  in  drills,  and  more  when  the  corn  in  hills  was  culti- 
vated both  ways  than  when  cultivated  but  one  way. 

Experiment  No.  7.      Corn,  Effect  of  Depth  of  Plowing-. 

May  16,  1 89 1, three  equal  and  adjacent  plats  were  plowed  as  nearly 
as  possible  at  depths  of  2,  5  and  10  inches  and  planted  to  corn.  Oct. 
23d,  when  harvested,  they  yielded,  respectively,  54,  57.5,  and  56  bu.  per 
acre.  The  difference  in  yield  was  so  slight  that  it  cannot  be  said  with 
confidence  that  the  difference  in  the  depth  of  plowing  caused  it. 

In  1890  the  yields  from  five  adjacent  plats,  with  seed-bed  stirred  to 
different  depths,  were  as  follows:     Not  plowed  (disked  shallow),  56.4; 
plowed  2  in.,  59.9;  plowed  4  in.,  69.4;  plowed  6  in.,  69. 3;  plowed  8  in., 
71.7  bu.  per  pcre.     None  of  these  plats  had  any  cultivation  after 
ing,  except  removing  the  weeds  by  scraping  the  surface  v\  ii  h  a  ^  \  •< )  p 


66 


15  UL  LET  IN     NO     2O. 


[April, 


Experiment  No.  9.      Corn,  Depth  of  Cultivation. 


The  tract  used  in  this  experiment  was  in  corn  in  1890  and  was 
fall-plowed. 

May  15th  it  was  disked  and  harrowed,  marked  in  rows  3  ft.  8  in. 
apart  each  way,  and  planted  with  Burr's  white  corn,  four  kernels  per 
hill.  The  corn  was  dropped  by  hand  and  covered  with  a. hoe.  The 
tract  was  divided  into  four  plats  each  9x101  hills. 

Plat  i  was  cultivated  shallow  three  times;  plat  2,  deep  three  times; 
and  plat  3,  deep  once  and  shallow  twice.  The  cultivation  of  the  three 
plats  was  on  the  same  days.  After  the  last  cultivation  the  weeds  remain- 
ing were  removed  with  a  hoe.  Plat  4  was  uncultivated  except  by 
scraping  the  surface  with  a  sharp  hoe  to  remove  weeds. 

Oct.  23d  the  corn  of  each  plat  was  husked  and  weighed  separately, 
with  the  following  results: 

YIELDS  OF  CORN  ON  PLATS  DIFFERENTLY  CULTIVATED,  1891. 


Plat  No. 

Kind  of  cultivation. 

Corn  per  plat,  Ib. 
when  husked. 

Yield  per  acre,  bu., 
(70  Ib.  per  bu.) 

i 

Shallow  

1,148 

c8    4 

2 

Deep.  . 

1,247 

63  4 

3 

Deep  and  shallow 

I   2^2 

63    7 

4 

No  cultivation  .  . 

1,087.* 

"^.^ 

This  experiment  has  been  conducted  for  four  years,  and,  using  only 
the  data  for  shallow,  deep,  and  no  cultivation,  we  have  as  follows: 

YIELDS  OF  CORN  ON  PLATS  DIFFERENTLY  CULTIVATED,  1888-1891. 


Kind  of  cultivation. 

Bushels  per  acre. 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

1891. 

Average. 

Shallow,  ordinary  

93-8 
84.9 

QO 

84.6 

74-2 
77.1 

66.8 

60.8 
60.  i 

58.4 
63.4 
5S.3 

75-9 
70.8 

72.  Q 

Deep,  ordinary  

None,  weeds  scraped  from  surface  .  . 

For  each  year,  except  1891,  the  yields  from  the  plats  with  deep 
cultivation  have  been  inferior  to  those  from  plats  with  either  shallow  or 
no  cultivation.  The  average  for  the  four  years  shows  the  same  result. 
In  the  deep  cultivation  for  1891  the  "Daisy"  cultivator,  having  small 
spring  shovels,  was  used;  while  in  each  of  the  three  preceding  years 
the  ordinary  large  shovel  cultivators  were  used.  The  plat  which  had 
no  cultivation  in  1891  may  have  been  somewhat  affected  by  a  row  of 
trees. 

Experiment  No.  10.      Corn,  Effect  of  Root-pruning. 

Every  alternate  row  of  eighteen  rows  two  rods  long,  of  each  of 
the  four  plats  described  in  experiment  number  9,  was  root-pruned  three 
times  from  June  19th  to  July  loth,  to  a  depth  of  four  inches.  The 


IS92.] 


I  IKLD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,     1891. 


pruning  was  done   by  placing  around  each  hill  a  frame  twelve  inches 
square  on  the  outside  and  passing  around  its  outer  edge  a  gaged  knife. 

Up  to  the  time  of  tasseling  the  effect  of  root-pruning  was  marked, 
the  pruned  rows  being  noticeably  smaller  than  the  unpruned  ones;  but 
after  the  tasseling  the  effect  was  less  apparent.  Oct.  iyth  and  i9th  the 
corn  for  each  row  of  each  plat  was  husked  and  weighed  separately, 
with  the  results  given  in  the  following  table: 

EFFECT  OF  ROOT-PRUNING  UPON  YIELD  OF  CORN,  1891. 


Row. 

Yield  of  ear  corn,  pounds. 

Plat  i. 

Plat  2. 

Plat   3. 

Plat   4. 

Sum  of 
4  plats. 

Yield  p-r 
acre   bu. 
(70  lb.) 

49-8 
81.6 
49-2 
69-4 
49.5 
79-7 
50.1 
77.i 
47-6 
67.5 
55-9 
76.5 
47-6 
73-3 
47-6 
64-9 
47.2 

67-5 

i     Pruned  

12.25 
13.5 

8-5 
ii.  5 

10 

13 
10.5 
14 

8 

13 
10.5 

15-5 
8-5 
15-5 
8-5 
12.5 
8.5 
14 

9-5 

21 

12.25 
14-5 

10 

16.5 

10.5 

£ 

14 
12.5 

17 

ii-5 
13-5 
ii.  5 
14-5 
10.75 
13 

12 

15 
II 

14-5 
10.5 

18 
10.5 
15-5 

10 

13-5 
ii 

14 
9 
!4-5 
9-5 
14.5 
9-5 
14-5 

4 

6-5 
13.5 
8 

14.5 
7-5 
15.5 
9-5 

12 
9-5 
13 

8 
13.5 
7-5 
9 
8 
ii 

38.75 
63.5 
38.25 

54 
38.5 
62 

39 
60 

37 
52.5 
43-5 
59-5 
37 
57 
37 
50.5 
36.75 
52.5 

2     Unpruned 

3     Pruned 

4     Unpruned                 

5     Pruned                    

6     Unpruned     

7     Pruned  

8     Unpruned 

Q     Pruned                             .  .  . 

10     Unpruned                 

i  i     Pruned                   

12     Unpruned  

13     Pruned  

14     Unpruned 

15     Pruned 

16     Unpruned                     .  . 

iy     Pruned                  

1  8     Unpruned            

(  Pruned  

85-25 

98 

93 

69.5 

345-75 

49-4 

Total    \ 

I  Unoruned.  . 

122.  S 

13.9             134 

116 

511  .  5 

73.1 

In  the  above  table  are  given  72  weights,  involving  36  comparisons, 
every  one  of  which  is  in  favor  of  the  unpruned.  Reducing  to  acres 
and  bushels,  we  find  the  average  decrease  per  acre  due  to  root-pruning 
to  be  24  bu.,  or  32  per  cent.  The  least  average  difference  per  acre  for 
any  plat  was  21.3  bu.;  the  greatest,  26.6  bu.  The  least  average  differ- 
ence of  two  rows  for  the  four  plats  was  17  bu.  per  acre;  the  greatest, 
32.  With  such  results  it  is  conclusive  that  the  difference  in  yield  is  due 
to  the  root-pruning. 

In  1888  the  root-pruning  was  to  the  depth  of  three  inches;  in  each 
of  the  following  years,  to  the  depth  of  four  inches.  The  decrease  from 
the  more  shallow  pruning  was  very  much  less  than  from  the  deeper 
pruning  of  the  other  years.  The  decrease  was  greatest  in  1891,  the 
year  with  the  least  rainfall  during  the  growing  season;  and  next  great- 
est in  1890,  in  which  year  the  rainfall  was  also  deficient. 


68 


BULLETIN    NO.   2O. 


[April, 


EFFECT  OF  ROOT-PRUNING  UPON  YIELD  OF  CORN,  1888,  1889,  1890,  1891. 


1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

1891. 

d 

7 

U 

d 

7 

O 

a 

T) 

0 

d 

hd 

d 

Kind  of  cultivation. 

1 

p 
a 

% 

o 

T3 

e 

CJ 

8s 

a 
*o 

c 

a 

5? 

o 

•§ 

c: 

3 

i 

0 

o 

a 

3 

C 

3 

8. 

i 

0 

13 

8. 

i 

(2 

D 

Pb 

i 

I 

• 

o 
fl> 

8. 

: 

I 

CD 
CX 

i 

8 

8. 

I 

I 

• 

w 

• 

p 

• 

Shallow,  ordinary      .    .  . 

97 

91 

6 

90.9 

78  3 

T?    6 

78  7 

55 

23.7 

7° 

48.7 

21.3 

Deep    ordinary 

8? 

8l    2 

1  8 

80    Q 

67  6 

ia    -3 

70  8 

5O   7 

20  i 

7Q   4 

16 

2^.4 

None,  weeds  scraped  off.  . 

94 

85.5 

8.5 

85.8 

68.4 

17.4 

76.7 

61.5 

15-2 

66.3 

39-7 

26.6 

Averages  

92.7 

86.6 

6.1 

85.9 

71-4 

14.4 

75-4 

55.7 

19.7 

71.9 

48.1 

23.8 

Experiment  No.  n.     Effect  of  Fertilizers  on  Corn. 

As  stated  in  former  bulletins,  no  important  effect  on  yield  of  corn 
has  been  produced  by  the  application  of  any  of  the  more  common  forms 
of  artificial  manures  to  the  fertile  prairie  lands  on  the  University  farms. 
The  application  of  stable  manure  has,  almost  without  exception,  in- 
creased the  yield,  but  not  in  all  cases  enough  to  repay  directly  the  out- 
lay. These  results  have  little  bearing  on  the  effect  of  any  kind  of 
manure  on  less  fertile  lands,  or  even  on  naturally  fertile  soils  after  they 
have  been  cropped  a  long  series  of  years  without  manuring. 

For  three  years  experiments  have  been  tried  at  different  points  in 
this  state,  about  on  the  latitude  of  St.  Louis,  in  the  light-colored  soil  of 
that  region.  Owing  to  unfavorable  conditions — drouth  and  storms — 
or  to  injuries  by  insects,  the  results  have  been  very  unsatisfactory.  The 
effect  of  applying  stable  manure  has  been  uniformly  good.  With  re- 
gard to  the  use  of  commercial  fertilizers  the  experiments  have  not  been 
conclusive,  for  the  reasons  given;  but  the  indications  are  that  they  have 
not  increased  the  yield  enough  to  repay  their  cost. 


Experiment  No.  90.      Growth    of  the    Corn    Plant ;   Increase  of  its 

Dry  Matter. 

For  three  years  observations  have  been  made  on  the  rate  of  growth 
and  on  the  rate  of  increase  of  dry  matter  in  the  corn  plant. 

The  results  each  year  have  shown  that  there  is  relatively  very  little 
dry  matter  in  the  corn  plant  in  the  early  stages  of  its  growth.  When 
the  plant  has  reached  its  full  height  there  has  been  less  than  50  per 
cent,  and  when  -the  ears  are  in  the  soft  milk  stage  there  has  been  not 
more  than  75  per  cent  as  much  dry  matter  in  the  whole  plant  as  when 
it  has  fully  matured.  Loss  of  leaves  and  tassels  may  reduce  the  weight; 
otherwise  the  dry  matter  increases  until  the  plant  is  fully  mature. 

For  three  years  plats  of  corn  have  been  cut  for  fodder  at  three  dif- 
ferent periods;  as  nearly  as  might  be  when  the  ears  were  in  the  milk 
stage,  when  they  were  nearly  mature,  and  when  the  plant  was  fully 
ripened.  In  each  year  there  was  a  noticeably  less  yield,  both  of  the 


1892.]  FIELD    EXPERIMENTS    WITH    CORN,     189!.  69 

whole  crop  and  of  the  grain,  from  the  early  harvested  plats  than  from 
either  of  the  others.  The  yield  of  corn  has  been  largest  from  the  fully 
ripened  plats. 

These  experiments,  and  the  feeding  tests  which  have  accompanied 
them,  will  be  repeated  and  fully  reported.  Without  taking  into  account 
palatibility  and  digestibility  of  the  fodder  at  different  periods,  the  three 
trials  indicate  that  very  early  cutting  of  corn,  either  for  dry  fodder  or 
for  ensilage,  involves  an  important  loss  of  food ;  but  convenience,  danger 
of  loss  if  the  corn  is  left  standing  until  fully  mature,  and  other  consid- 
erations will  influence  the  decision  as  to  the  best  time  to  harvest  the  crop 

Rxperiment  No.  134.      Corn,  Effect  of  Removing  Tassels. 

The  tassels  on  alternate  rows  of  four-tenths  of  an  acre  of  Burr's 
white  corn  were  removed  as  soon  as  they  appeared.  Each  of  the  thirty 
rows  was  husked  and  weighed  separately.  The  total  difference  between 
those  having  the  tassels  removed  and  those  not  removed  was  but  one 
pound,  thus  showing  no  effect  from  removing  tassels.  In  similar  trials 
with  sweet  corn  the  yield  was  somewhat  reduced  when  the  tassels  were 
removed. 

Removing  the  tops  by  cutting  them  off  above  the  ears  just  before 
the  leaves  began  to  turn  brown  had  no  appreciable  effect  upon  the  yield 
of  grain. 

GENERAL  CONCLUSIONS  AND  SUGGESTIONS. 

Central  Illinois  has  a  soil  and  climate  admirably  adapted  to  the 
production  of  good  corn.  On  the  grounds  of  the  Agricultural  Experi- 
ment Station  the  average  yield  for  four  successive  years  of  all  the 
medium  maturing  varieties  tested  has  been  73  bushels  of  air-dry  shelled 
corn  per  acre.  These  yields  have  been  secured  almost  exclusively  with- 
out manuring  or  unusual  cost  of  cultivation. 

The  soil  has  great  natural  fertility ;  is  easily  worked ;  is  loose  and 
sufficiently  porous  to  a  considerable  depth;  has  great  capillary  attrac- 
tion. Applying  stable  manure,  or  adding  to  the  store  of  vegetable 
matter  by  plowing  under  a  clover  or  grass  sod,  usually  increases  the 
yield.  Applying  any  of  the  artificial  manures  ordinarily  used  in  this 
country,  as  a  rule,  produces  little  effect.  Deep  stirring  of  the  soil  in 
preparation  for  the  crop  is  not  necessary.  Air,  water,  and  the  roots  of 
the  corn  readily  find  their  way  into  this  soil,  even  if  it  has  not  been 
stirred.  In  times  of  drought  the  soil  has  a  marvelous  power  of  bring- 
ing moisture  from  the  depths  of  the  subsoil  and  retaining  it  for  the  use 
of  plants. 

The  climate  is  of  the  best  for  the  corn  plant.  A  season  of  nearly 
five  months,  free  from  frosts,  may  be  expected.  The  average  summer 
temperature  is  high.  There  is  much  sunshine,  and,  usually,  frequent 
showers  give  sufficient  rainfall. 


70  P.ULI.ETIN   NO.  20.  [April, 

For  this  soil  and  climate  the  best  guarantees  of  a  good  crop  of 
corn  seem  to  be:  (  i)  A  good  variety.  (2)  A  good  stand.  (3)  Keep- 
ing the  soil  free  from  weeds  with  the  least  disturbance  practicable  of  the 
roots.  A  low  cost  for  the  crop  will  depend  mainly  on  the  ability  to 
secure  these  conditions  without  unnecessary  expenditure  of  money  or 
labor. 

There  are  many  excellent  varieties  in  cultivation  in  Illinois.  Usu- 
ally it  is  unnecessary,  often  a  serious  mistake,  to  send  to  a  distance  and 
pay  high  prices  for  seed  corn.  The  claims  made  for  many  varieties 
prominently  advertised  are  greatly  exaggerated.  There  is  no  variety 
that  we  can  rely  on  to  produce  100  bu.  per  acre  of  dry  shelled  corn 
with  average  good  soil,  season,  and  cultivation.  No  variety  suitable  for 
general  cultivation  in  central  Illinois  will  mature  in  90  days.  The  best 
varieties  tested  at  the  Station  have  a  union  of  several  desirable  qualities 
in  a  fair  degree  rather  than  any  one  good  point  developed  to  an  extraor- 
dinary degree.  No  very  early  maturing  variety  has  given  a  large  yield. 
No  variety  with,  remarkably  large  ears  has  matured  sufficiently  early  to 
be  very  desirable.  Neither  the  yield  nor  the  feeding  value  of  a  variety 
depends  on  the  color  or  smoothness  of  the  kernels. 

The  varieties  which  have  given  the  best  satisfaction  at  the  Station 
have  had,  in  good  seasons,  stalks  averaging  8  to  10  ft.  high,  producing 
ears  at  a  height  of  about  four  feet;  good  ears,  averaging  9  to  10  in.  long 
and  2  to  2^4  m-  in  diameter;  cobs,  about  one-half  the  diameter  of  the 
ear;  from  14  to  20  rows  of  kernels,  with  as  little  space  as  possible  be- 
tween the  rows;  kernels  well  covering  the  butt  and  tip  of  the  ear.  A 
reasonable  uniformity  in  the  diameter  of  the  ear  until  near  the  tip  is 
desirable;  but  some  of  the  best  varieties  taper  considerably.  The  time 
of  ripening  of  these  varieties  has  been  from  Sept.  loth  to  Sept.  2oth. 

Failure  to  secure  a  sufficient  number  and  a  uniform  distribution  of 
stalks  is  one  of  the  most  common  causes  of  poor  yields  of  corn. 
Stalks  and  ears  of  the  largest  size  are  secured  by  planting  a  less  number 
than  is  necessary  to  secure  the  largest  yield.  With  the  rows  3  ft.  8  in. 
apart,  planting  four  kernels  in  a  hill  has  given  larger  yields  than  a  less 
number.  The  number  of  stalks  being  the  same  and  their  distribution 
uniform,  and  the  land  being  kept  equally  free  from  weeds,  there  has 
been  no  material  difference  in  yield  between  planting  in  hills  and  plant- 
ing in  drills.  When  the  largest  and  most  valuable  yield  of  both  grain 
and  stalks  is  desired  the  planting  should  be  at  a  rate  of  not  less  than 
one  kernel  each  six  inches  in  the  row.  Poor  seed,  poor  preparation  of 
the  soil,  failure  to  cover  properly  the  seed,  or  injury  by  insects,  birds,  or 
squirrels,  or  in  cultivation  may  reduce  the  number  of  stalks  far  below 
the  number  of  kernels  planted. 

Planting  by  May  ist  is  safe  practice,  but  does  not  insure  a  larger 
yield  than  planting  ten  days  to  two  weeks  later.  Medium  early  plant- 
ing, if  the  soil  is  stirred  just  before  planting,  may  make  less  cultivation 
necessary  afterwards  than  very  early  planting.  Except  when  the  soil 


1892.]  FIELD    EXPERIMENTS     WITH    COKN,     189!.  7  I 

is  very  dry,  covering   the  seed   well,  one  to  two  inches,  is  better  than 
deeper  covering. 

In  this  soil  the  chief  good  from  cultivation  seems  to  be  in  killing 
the  weeds  rather  than  in  loosening  the  soil.  Injuring  the  roots  of  the 
plants  should  be  avoided  as  far  as  possible.  Cultivating  four  inches 
deep,  within  six  to  ten  inches  of  the  stalks,  after  they  have  made  a  fair 
growth,  will  destroy  many  of  the  roots.  Shallow  cultivation,  if  the 
work  is  equally  well  done,  is  better  than  deep  cultivation.  More  fre- 
quent cultivation  than  is  necessary  to  keep  the  surface  loose  and  free 
from  weeds  is  not  profitable. 

Cutting  or  husking  corn  before  it  is  fairly  mature  causes  loss;  but 
letting  the  corn  stand  till  fully  mature  may  result  in  even  greater  loss, 
either  from  storms  or  from  the  greater  cost  of  late  harvesting,  or  from 
both  causes  combined.     Probably   the  greatest  food  value  per  acre  is 
secured,  if  either  the  grain  or  the  stalks  are  to  be  fed  early  in  the  season, 
by  planting  early  maturing  varieties,  even  though  the  yield  be  less. 
G.  E.  MORROW,  A.M.,  Agriculturist. 
F.  D.  GARDNER,  B.S.,  Assistant  Agriculturist. 


All  communications  intended  for  the  Station  should  be  addressed, 
not  to  any  person,  but  to  the 

AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION,  CHAMPAIGN,  ILLINOIS. 

The  bulletins  of  the  Experiment  Station  will  be  sent  free  of  all 
charges  to  persons  engaged  in  farming  who  may  request  that  they  be  sent. 

GEORGE  E.  MORROW, 
President  Board  of  Direction. 


72  BULLETIN    NO.   2O.  [April,   1892. 


ORGANIZATION. 


BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS. 

SAMUEL  A.  BULLARD,  Springfield,  President. 

JOSEPH  W.  FIFER,  Springfield,  Governor  of  Illinois. 

LAFAYETTE  FUNK,  Shirley,  President  State  Board  of  Agriculture. 

HENRY  RAAB,  Springfield,  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction. 
EMORY  COBB,  Kankakee.  GEORGE  R.  SHAWHAN,  Urbana. 

W.  W.  CLEMENS,  Marion.  FRANCIS  M.  McKAY,  Chicago. 

JOHN  H.  BRYANT,  Princeton.  RICHARD  P.  MORGAN,  Dwight. 

NELSON  W.  GRAHAM,  Carbondale. 

BOARD  OF  DIRECTION  OF  THE  EXPERIMENT  STATION. 

GEORGE  E.  MORROW,  A.M.,  Champaign,  Professor  of  Agriculture,  President. 

E.  E.  CHESTER,  Champaign,  of  State  Board  of  Agriculture. 

HENRY  M.  DUNLAP,  Savoy,  of  State  Horticultural  Society 

H.  B.  GURLER,  DeKalb,  of  State  Dairymen's  Association. 

EMORY  COBB,  Kankakee,  Trustee  of  the  University. 
LAFAYETTE  FUNK,  Shirley,  Trustee  of  the  University. 

THOMAS  J.  BURRILL,  Ph.D.,  Urbana,  Professor  of  Botany  and  Horticulture. 

STEPHEN  A.  FORBES,  Ph.D.,  Champaign,  Professor  of  Zoology  and  Entomology. 

EDWARD  H.  FARRINGTON,  M.S.,  Champaign,  Chemist  of  Station. 

THE  STATION  STAFF. 

GEORGE  E.  MORROW,  A.M.,  Agriculturist,  President  of  Board  of  Direction. 

WILLIAM  L.  PILLSBURY,  A.M.,  Champaign,  Secretary. 
THOMAS  J.  B.URRILL,  Ph.D.,  Horticulturist  and  Botanist. 

EDWARD  H.  FARRINGTON,  M.S.,  Chemist. 
STEPHEN  A.  FORBES,  Ph.D.,  Consulting  Entomologist. 

DONALD  McINTOSH,  V.S.,  Consulting  Veterinarian.. 

GEORGE  W.  McCLUER,  B.S.,  Assistant  Horticulturist. 

GEORGE  P.  CLINTON,  B.S.,  Assistant  Botanist. 

E.  K.  NELSON,  Assistant  Chemist. 
FRANK  D.  GARDNER,  B.S.,  Assistant  Agriculturist. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


